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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
While this book had the author’s gorgeous writing, I did not feel a connection to the characters along with a drive to read the plot
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Truly a 3 star book to me but I'm giving an extra half star for subverting the obvious sequel bait at the very last moment.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I LOVE AB PORANEK
But seriously I did enjoy this book. Poranek’s magic systems are always captivating and different than from what I’ve seen. What a joyous read
But seriously I did enjoy this book. Poranek’s magic systems are always captivating and different than from what I’ve seen. What a joyous read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Gore, Abandonment, Alcohol
Loved the authors first book, but this one just didnt work for me. The characters aren't fleshed out, the twists are predictable.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A reimagining of the Swan Princess with a side of LGBTQ. What more could one person want from a gay fantasy story?!
This story was beautiful and fun and heartbreaking and just everything a person might want if they're eager to get their hands on more lesbian love stories with fairy tale themes. It's wonderfully written with a magical setting and great descriptions that truly make you feel like you are really in the story. And then there's the more intense moments and the mystery that makes it hard to put the story down for long.
The characters are also fantastic. Odile is a brilliant main character who is both sympathic, fun and flawed in all the best ways that make her understandable and relatable but not free of fault. The same for her love interest, Marie, who is a sweet girl but without the strength to stand up for herself or those she cares about until she is given a chance to be truly free. As well as that we have the Dauphin who is just as interest, complex and fun to follow along with as the main characters, which is very nice because I originally thought he would follow a generic eye-roll trope of a character but was instead wonderfully layered and fascinating as the girls.
(Small critique. Odile's brother, I found to be very boring. It felt like he was on the edge of being an interesting character but due to having so little time to really explore him, he feels somewhat tacked on a lot of the time.)
The only issue I had is very minor. The final chapter seems to build rather greatly to a possible sequel where Odile will go on a grand adventure in order to save Marie... But then it's the epilogue which skips the entire adventure it was building so dramatically to her return. It just seemed a little weird like the author planned a sequel but for whatever reason changed her mind. But it still has a great ending and everything else was about the book was still fantastic so I'd only drop it half a star for my very minor problems.
This story was beautiful and fun and heartbreaking and just everything a person might want if they're eager to get their hands on more lesbian love stories with fairy tale themes. It's wonderfully written with a magical setting and great descriptions that truly make you feel like you are really in the story. And then there's the more intense moments and the mystery that makes it hard to put the story down for long.
The characters are also fantastic. Odile is a brilliant main character who is both sympathic, fun and flawed in all the best ways that make her understandable and relatable but not free of fault. The same for her love interest, Marie, who is a sweet girl but without the strength to stand up for herself or those she cares about until she is given a chance to be truly free. As well as that we have the Dauphin who is just as interest, complex and fun to follow along with as the main characters, which is very nice because I originally thought he would follow a generic eye-roll trope of a character but was instead wonderfully layered and fascinating as the girls.
(Small critique. Odile's brother, I found to be very boring. It felt like he was on the edge of being an interesting character but due to having so little time to really explore him, he feels somewhat tacked on a lot of the time.)
The only issue I had is very minor. The final chapter seems to build rather greatly to a possible sequel where Odile will go on a grand adventure in order to save Marie... But then it's the epilogue which skips the entire adventure it was building so dramatically to her return. It just seemed a little weird like the author planned a sequel but for whatever reason changed her mind. But it still has a great ending and everything else was about the book was still fantastic so I'd only drop it half a star for my very minor problems.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
TL;DR: Enchanted forests, fading magic, and a crown of melodrama. Beautifully gothic, occasionally gripping, but it doesn’t quite earn its throne.
Full Review:
The first 100 pages had me worried. The pacing dragged, the characters felt flat, and I was already drafting my “DNF” excuse. But then something shifted. The gothic atmosphere thickened, the world felt heavier, sadder, more alive in its decay… and just like that, I was interested.
A Treachery of Swans thrives in its setting: haunted woods, decaying magic, and a lingering sense that beauty is rotting beneath the surface. That part was gorgeous. Thematically, it asks compelling questions: What happens to a world when magic dies? When belief unravels? That existential gloom paired with the French court’s masked opulence gave me serious Crimson Peak meets YA fantasy energy.
Odile was compelling, if not exactly likable. She had depth, and I appreciated how the story didn’t try to sanitize her flaws. Marie, on the other hand, was supposed to be clever, but rarely acted like it. Damien had more weight and sincerity, and I found myself rooting for him more than anyone. The Dauphin... A little too dull for a would-be power player. The romance, however, was refreshingly low-drama and actually quite sweet. It didn’t steal the show, and that worked in the book’s favor.
Now, the caveats: this is melodramatic, a little juvenile in tone, and not particularly surprising. The twists didn’t twist, and the tension never fully caught fire. It often felt like the premise was doing all the heavy lifting, and what a premise! But the execution couldn’t quite match its promise.
Still, it was enjoyable. Not groundbreaking, but entertaining enough for fans of soft dark fantasy, lush prose, and morally grey characters in decaying fairytale kingdoms. I enjoyed this one more than A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Rating: 3.25 stars. For the mood, the world, and the ideas. Not a favorite, but not a regret.
Full Review:
The first 100 pages had me worried. The pacing dragged, the characters felt flat, and I was already drafting my “DNF” excuse. But then something shifted. The gothic atmosphere thickened, the world felt heavier, sadder, more alive in its decay… and just like that, I was interested.
A Treachery of Swans thrives in its setting: haunted woods, decaying magic, and a lingering sense that beauty is rotting beneath the surface. That part was gorgeous. Thematically, it asks compelling questions: What happens to a world when magic dies? When belief unravels? That existential gloom paired with the French court’s masked opulence gave me serious Crimson Peak meets YA fantasy energy.
Odile was compelling, if not exactly likable. She had depth, and I appreciated how the story didn’t try to sanitize her flaws. Marie, on the other hand, was supposed to be clever, but rarely acted like it. Damien had more weight and sincerity, and I found myself rooting for him more than anyone. The Dauphin... A little too dull for a would-be power player. The romance, however, was refreshingly low-drama and actually quite sweet. It didn’t steal the show, and that worked in the book’s favor.
Now, the caveats: this is melodramatic, a little juvenile in tone, and not particularly surprising. The twists didn’t twist, and the tension never fully caught fire. It often felt like the premise was doing all the heavy lifting, and what a premise! But the execution couldn’t quite match its promise.
Still, it was enjoyable. Not groundbreaking, but entertaining enough for fans of soft dark fantasy, lush prose, and morally grey characters in decaying fairytale kingdoms. I enjoyed this one more than A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Rating: 3.25 stars. For the mood, the world, and the ideas. Not a favorite, but not a regret.